PREP YEAR IN REVIEW: Small-Schools Football Coach of the Year Nick Flowers of Carrollton

Published
5:05 pm CDT, Wednesday, July 1, 2015

By Greg Shashack

gshashack@civitasmedia.com

CARROLLTON – Carrollton coach Nick Flowers annually sets a high standard for his Hawks football program.

The 2014 Hawks promptly raised the bar to its highest level.

“It was one of those things where coming into the season – we’re always big on setting team goals – right off the bat, I was thinking the boys would want to get back to the playoffs, want to win the South title again,” Flowers said. “But, immediately, the boys said, ‘We want to win a state championship game. That was their first and foremost goal.”

The Hawks would earn that title shot, rolling up 13 consecutive victories before falling to Forreston 20-15 in the Class 1A state championship game at Memorial Stadium in Champaign. It was the greatest season in Carrollton football history and it earned Nick Flowers recognition as Telegraph Small-Schools Football Coach of the Year.

The Hawks finished 13-1 to push Flowers career record at his alma mater to 76-39 over 11 seasons. Carrollton was billed as a state title contender in August and it retained that status through Thanksgiving.

“It was that kind of year,” said Flowers, whose senior-laden team was coming off a 9-2 record in 2013 and 10-2 in 2012. “The boys knew they had to take every game serious, but they had put a lot time in and had enough playoff experience that they knew what it was going to take to get to that next level. It was one heck of a rewarding season.”

The Hawks rolled through the regular season at 9-0 while claiming a third straight WIVC South championship. The road to Champaign was paved by playoff victories over Concord Triopia (43-6), LeRoy (69-13), Bismarck-Henning (26-21) and Camp Point Central (22-7).

The 69 points put up against LeRoy in the second round was the most scored in a game – regular or postseason — by the Hawks since 2005. The offense featured record-setting seasons by quarterback Jacob Smith and running back Luke Palan.

Smith competed 74 percent of his passes for 2,580 yards, 26 touchdowns and four interceptions. Palan rushed for 1,318 yards and scored 33 TDs. Linebacker Cody Leonard, who joined Smith as a Class 1A all-stater, set a state record with 22 tackles in the title game.

Carrollton utilized 10 two-way starters, including eight that were seniors. Only juniors Cole Brannan and Jerrett Smith return from the starting lineup that played for a state title. “It’s no secret, we graduated nine seniors on both sides of the ball,” Flowers said.

It was a season of great accomplishment for the Hawks. But Flowers reminds they did finish shy of their ultimate goal.

“We didn’t win it, we got second place,” Flowers said. “That’s not anything to be ashamed of, but we’re going to set those goals back up there of getting to another state championship game. And we want to win one.”

That work has already resumed. There will be an overhaul of talent in Carrollton, but the program appears positioned to avoid a down year in 2015. The junior varsity and freshman teams at Carrollton both went undefeated in 2014.

“That’s a whole different level – freshmen and JV – but it says our boys want to win,” Flowers said. “We’ll go into the season with the same expectations. We’re not going to lower our expectations, at all.”